Source:
https://scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3039197/alaska-man-71-caught-smuggling-us400000-worth-drugs
World/ United States & Canada

Alaska man, 71, caught smuggling US$400,000 worth of drugs inside rancid goat intestines

  • Cenen Placencia told investigators he planned to eat the rotten intestines, which were frozen together in a single mass inside a 21kg fish box
  • He said he packed the meat himself, after buying the goat from a California rancher for US$140
The drugs were found wrapped inside spoiled, frozen goat intestines. Photo: AFP

A man from Alaska was arrested last week for smuggling drugs hidden inside spoiled goat intestines stored in his checked luggage, US authorities said.

Investigators arrested Cenen Placencia, 71, at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport after finding US$400,000 worth of heroin and methamphetamine in the frozen meat, according to a report from the Alaska State Troopers.

Placencia initially allowed authorities to search the 21kg (47-pound) fish box he had checked for a morning flight to Kodiak. Small pieces of meat with some animal skin were frozen together in a single mass, according to an affidavit, and they did not appear to be packed for human consumption. As the meat thawed, investigators said it smelled rancid.

Authorities eventually pulled out 10 balls of duct tape from one intestine and discovered plastic bags inside, the affidavit said. They seized a total of 740 grams of heroin and 389 grams of methamphetamine after receiving a search warrant.

Authorities seized 389 grams of methamphetamine (not shown) during the search. Photo: AFP
Authorities seized 389 grams of methamphetamine (not shown) during the search. Photo: AFP

Placencia told investigators he planned to eat the rotten intestines and did not know the drugs were inside them, according to the affidavit written by an agent with the coastguard’s investigative service. He said he packed the goat himself after buying it from a California rancher for US$140.

It is not the first time he has been accused of smuggling drugs in animal meat. Placencia is suspected of previously using a lamb carcass to transport drugs from Anchorage to Kodiak, according to court documents.

Authorities had been investigating him since March, the report said, when they seized 247 grams of heroin, 13 grams of crystal methamphetamine and US$2,300 from suspected drug sales from his home in Kodiak.

Placencia faces federal drug trafficking charges and was booked into Anchorage Jail, authorities said. If convicted, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 40 years in prison, said the US Attorney’s Office District of Alaska. He faces a minimum of four years of supervised release.